A Day in the Life of a Teenage Monstrosity
by HalfDeadorFull
Summary: Naruto is vying for Hinata's heart, but what will happen when two so seemingly different people come together? Will opposites attract?
1. Change

_**ATTENTION NEW READERS: TRY TO BEAR WITH THE HORRIBLY SHORT CHAPTERS, BECAUSE THE CHAPTERS GET LONGER LATER ON. I PROMISE.**_

A/N: Ah, my second official fan fiction… Here it is! I'm planning on doing something like 13-18ish of chapters in similar length, all following the same story arc. Please read and review! I promise to read all of the reviews! Thanks so much!

Oh, and by the way, this chapter and the chapters to come are totally fine, but there might be some swearing in the near future, hence the T rating, so just FYI, this chapters clean, despite the rating.

Each day it was the same routine. Wake up to an empty house, choke down a breakfast of stale cereal and expired milk, and then it was off to school. He walked there alone, and remained alone for the whole day, everyone ignoring him, until he walked back home, unaccompanied. Then, after changing and having a snack of what was usually week-old leftovers, he went to work. He worked part time at a daycare in Konoha, not far from his house. He had worked so hard to get this job, because the caretaker who ran the place was convinced that if the parents figured out that such a 'monster', as they liked to call him, was anywhere near their precious kids, they would be outraged. He was probably right. Thus, he had to work his butt off, because the owner was always on his case.

Naruto stood outside of the daycare's front doors. He took a deep breath, dispelled all of the negative emotions and thoughts that had plagued him throughout the day, and plastered a fake smile upon his face, just as he always did. He pushed open the doors and was greeted by the cheerful shouting of the kids.

"Naruto!" they all simultaneously squealed in delight, as he stepped through the open doors. He bent down and ruffled their hair as they crowded around him. Eventually, the crowd died out, and the children went back to their games. He stopped and chatted with all of the kids playing by themselves, hoping that he was helping to prevent at least one of those kids from growing up to be a miserable lonely wreck like himself. He wandered from kid to kid, watching the clock as he did so.

Then, like clockwork, at 3:45, the doors swung open, and two figures entered. It was Hinata and her little sister, Hanabi. Ever since Hanabi had been enrolled in the after school program, more than a year ago, Hinata had walked her here after school everyday. Just to admire this graceful beauty from afar made his heart soar. God, he was pathetic, if this was the highlight of his day.

Hinata made sure Hanabi was checked into the logbook, told her to be home by dinner, and was off. Naruto watched in dismay as she left, just as he did everyday. And, as always, for a while after Hinata left, Naruto distractedly wandered from kid to kid, hearing what they had to say to him, but not actually listening to them. He had heard that "variety is the spice of life" and that "a little change is good sometimes." Clearly, whoever said that knew what they were talking about, because if he had to go through much more of this monotony, he would surely go crazy. Yeah, maybe it was time for a little change in his life. What was the worst that could happen?

A/N: Hey you guys, thanks for reading my second fan fiction! It's amazing how much better it is compared to my first fan fiction! It's all thanks to those R&Rs!!! Review, and there'll be a whole lot more where that came from! Or, rather, if you do not like this, read and review! Otherwise I will torment you with pages of eye-bleedifying stupidity that I will force you to read. (yes eye-bleedifying is a word). MUAHAHAHAH. Seriously though, please R&R. If not for me, do it for the children…


	2. Two Different Worlds

**A/N: Hey everybody! Got some awesome reviews on the first chapter (surprised I got any at all…) so I decided to get on with it already and upload the next chapter sooner than I had originally planned for all of those waiting out there. I actually was going to go straight from Chapter 1 to what is now going to be Chapter 3, but I decided to add in this chapter, to make things a little more interesting. Keep those reviews coming! Thanks!**

**(Oh, and by the way, something I learned from typing the first chapter; on Microsoft Word, Hinata is listed as a spelling error, but Hina6taq is totally fine… umm, wth? o.0)**

He had warned her constantly about the dangers of "that Uzumaki boy", as her father called him. She had once asked him why he was so dangerous, and he simply scoffed at her and continued on with his lecture. He had told her to stay away from Naruto, for her own good. And yet, here she was, at the front doors of Konoha Daycare, same as everyday, even though she knew Naruto worked here. It's not like it was a big deal or anything. She never even talked to him anyways. Besides, how dangerous could he really be?

She stepped through the front doors and made sure Hanabi checked in. As she was leaving, she looked back, and saw Naruto. He was reading a book about a ballerina with magical slippers to a little girl who was half asleep.

'Why does father hate him so much? How can he possibly be so dangerous?' Hinata thought. Then again, she wasn't even sure why she cared about the whole situation. She didn't even care about him, and as far as she was concerned, he didn't care about her. They were two completely different people from two completely different worlds. She was so caught up in thought that as she turned the corner, she bumped into someone, and she let out a startled yelp.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry!!" Hinata apologized. She looked up and saw her fellow team member, Kiba Inuzuka.

"Eh, no big deal. I shoulda paid more attention to where I was going," Kiba said. "Oh! Hey Hinata, I didn't even realize it was you at first! Well, I gotta get going! I'll see you later!" he said.

He began to run off in the other direction, but Hinata turned around.

"K-Kiba!" she shouted after him. Kiba stopped and turned around.

"Yeah, Hinata?" he said.

"U-um, I was wondering… well, actually… D-do you know why everyone is so afraid of Naruto, and why they always have to isolate him from everyone else?" Hinata asked.

'Damn,' Kiba thought. 'Why's she so concerned about Naruto?'

"Well, Hinata… you see… well to be completely honest, I'm not really sure," Kiba chuckled. Of course, he did know, practically everyone in the village knew, but there was no reason she needed to get involved with him, and the less she knew, the better.

"A-alright… thanks anyways, Kiba," Hinata said.

"Sure! No problem. I'll see you later Hinata!" Kiba said as he ran off.

Hinata walked home and went straight up to her room. She jumped face-first onto her bed, burying her face in the pillows. She needed some time to think about this Uzumaki boy who was plaguing her thoughts. Maybe a nap would help relax her and relieve all of this head-ache inducing confusion. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought of Naruto surrounded by all of the smiling, laughing kids, and she couldn't help but smile.

**A/N: Sorry 'bout this short/crappy chapter, but I think it's kind of necessary for foreshadowing NaruHina action, and also some drama with Kiba. Don't worry, I already have the next chapter done, I just have to type it. 'Till next time!**


	3. Devising a Plan

**A/N: For all of you guys waiting for the next chapter and always wanting more, consider yourself lucky. I have just come up with the ULTIMATE fan fiction idea, and I'm totally inspired, and I would hate to be in the middle of two fan fictions, so I'm finishing this one quickly. I won't be rushing it, but I'll make sure that I'm not wasting anytime on it. R&R please! Thanks!**

Naruto was lying down on his bed, surveying the fine lattice-work of the cracks that ran across his ceiling. Other than his training, this was his favorite time of day. He got to spend some alone time thinking about whatever was bugging him. Not that he didn't have enough time alone already, but he enjoyed being able to think about anything without interruptions.

He enjoyed that period of time before you fall asleep when you remember where that shirt is you lost, or when you come up with your best ideas. And that's what he was doing now, coming up with a plan to win over Hinata. But unfortunately, it wasn't going quite as planned. He couldn't think of anything at all. Well, that wasn't true. He had thought of a million ideas already, but they were all no good. Go straight to her door and straight out tell her how he felt. Nope, Hiashi or Neji would kill him. A love letter was also out of the question, as it was too cliché.

He needed something absolutely amazing that would completely win her over. Maybe he could strike up a deal with Ino. After all, her family did own the flower shop. Flowers were romantic, weren't they?

Ugh, who was he kidding? Thinking just wasn't his thing, and he was new to the whole romance thing, so he could think for days on end and still not some up with a half-decent idea. Then again… Now that he thought about it, a love letter actually sounded pretty good.

'Yeah, that's what I'll do; a love letter,' thought Naruto as he drifted off to sleep, finally glad to have solved that nagging problem.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and sorry for another crappy chapter, but I PROMISE there will be some actual NaruHina action coming up really soon, so keep your eyes peeled for updates, and you won't be disappointed. Thanks!**


	4. Author for a Day

**A/N: Alright, before we get started, I just wanna make a shout out, and clear up a few details. Thanks so much to **_**piratequeen11**_** for the great review! Nice, detailed reviews like that are not something I get very often. (Oh, and the only reason I haven't had a single spelling or grammar error is because I am absolutely obsessed with having every little detail perfect.)**** Also, I'd like to clarify a few things. Yes, I'm aware that the chapters are super short, I'm working on that, so please, please, PLEASE stick with it, I promise it'll get better. Also, there will be a lot more actual drama instead of just this random crap that's totally boring, but, boring as it is, it is essential to the plot, so I ****promise**** there will be some more interesting stuff in just a bit. Don't forget to R&R! Thanks!**

*Crumple crumple crumple*

Naruto grumbled under his breath as he threw yet another failed letter into the thrash can. He had no idea how many attempts he made; he had lost count at twelve. He was certainly no poet.

He had talked to Sakura about the whole thing, and she had given him advice on how to go about writing such a letter. She had said he needed to be romantic, he couldn't just flat out say "I love you".

He also thought it would be a good idea to give her reasons why she should like him. Although, why **should** she like him? He was a loud mouthed moron who had no friends. I mean, that's not to say everybody hated him, he just didn't have anyone he could call a 'friend'. It would be hard enough to get an average person to like him, but here he was, trying to win over Hinata, who was from a high-status family, could have anything she wanted, and, in Naruto's opinion, was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. He simply didn't see what he could say that would get her to like him.

Well, enough over-analyzing it, he had to start writing _**something**_.

"Alright, let's just take it bit by bit," said Naruto to himself.

"Let's see… first, the beginning. She's all fancy and pampered so should it be Lady Hinata? No, that just sounds stupid. That's no way to start a love letter, or any letter for that matter. How about _Dear Hinata_? Hmm, sounds fine to me, no need to be overly fancy or anything," said Naruto.

He wrote those two words, _Dear Hinata_, on a blank piece of paper. At once, as soon as he was done writing, a torrent of ideas flowed into his head. He immediately began furiously scribbling them down, before he forgot them. He grinned. Finally, he was getting somewhere.

After half and hour of intense writing, (although with this boy's handwriting it looked like a bunch of random indiscernible scribbles, it hardly resembled writing of any kind at all) he ended up with three pages of ideas. After checking and re-checking all of his ideas, he narrowed his list down to a select few statements. He then combined the statements to form a (somewhat) understandable letter and transferred it onto his original copy which had only two words on it just a few minutes ago. He read and reread it ten times, and when he was finally satisfied that it was perfect (or, at least, as close to perfect as it could be), he grinned to himself, folding his note several times as he did so.

Now all he had to do was deliver it.

**A/N: Uh-oh… I know what you're thinking, and, nope that's not it. Naruto will deliver the letter just fine. The delivery of the letter will present no problem at all, however, there will be a nice little twist in the next chapter having to do with the composition of the letter. Sorry, can't give any hints!! R&R and stay tuned in for the next chapter! It gets better, I promise!**


	5. Off to School

**A/N: Alright, here we go, time for a great chapter! If you haven't already noticed the size of your scroll bar, this chapter is considerably longer than the others. I finally forced myself to do a chapter that was more than just a couple of paragraphs! (I'm really afraid I rambled on at points in order to make my chapter longer, though…) Some good feedback would be greatly appreciated, because this is my longest single chapter I have typed, and also because this is the first chapter I have typed first. I usually write out by hand my fan fiction, so this is completely different for me. I'd like to know how it turned out from a reader's perspective, so be sure to R&R! I read every single review! Thanks so much!**

As he walked to school, note in hand, Naruto began to wonder if this was the best idea. Was a love note really the way to go? Had he written it right? What if she couldn't even read his handwriting?! No, it should be fine. He was just getting nervous, that's all. Or maybe that was just some lame justification for his hesitation? Ugh, he had absolutely no idea.

He had woken up this morning a little too late, because he slept through his alarm clock. Actually, he wasn't even sure if it had gone off in the first place. That thing was a piece of junk that rarely worked. He hated its guts. If he had his way, the thing would be smashed to bits in his trashcan by now, or at the bottom of a lake somewhere, never to pester again. Anyways, he had gotten up late, and because of that, he had to rush to get ready for school. He ended up just wearing the same clothes he fell asleep in. Not that it mattered; all of his outfits looked the same.

As he was thinking about how much he didn't want to go to school today, his stomach growled.

'Oh, crap!!' he thought. He'd been in such a rush, he had forgotten to eat breakfast!

'Oh, that's just _grand,_' he thought sarcastically. Not a very good start to his day so far…

He continued down the road, mumbling curse words under his breath, and hoping that the rest of the day wasn't going to be this bad, when he spotted a group of people up ahead. It was Shikamaru, along with Kiba, Chouji, and Ino. Naruto certainly wouldn't call these people his "friends", but they didn't really hate him all that much, so he guessed they were the closest thing to friends he had.

"Hey guys!" Naruto shouted, running up to the group.

He caught up to them and they exchanged annoyed greetings, not so much annoyed at Naruto, but mostly because he was yelling so loud this early in the morning.

"What's up, Naruto?" Kiba asked.

"Eh, nothing much. I got up late, so I missed breakfast this morning, and now I'm starving!" he explained.

"Oh, really? Same here" Kiba replied.

"Oh, why didn't you say so, Kiba-kun?" Ino asked sweetly. "I've got a snack for you right here!" she said as she produced a little plastic bag filled with something that looked like little cookies.

"Awesome!" said Kiba as he eagerly began munching on whatever Ino had gotten for him.

"Are those… dog treats?" Shikamaru said, one eyebrow raised.

"Ewww!" Naruto said.

"They are _not_!" Kiba defensively retorted.

He continued to receive glares from everyone in the group, and finally, he cracked.

"Alright! Fine, they are! But so what?! What's the big deal?" he said.

Shikamaru just shrugged his shoulders, and Chouji didn't care, because that kid would eat _anything_, but Naruto's mouth was hanging open at the sight of him gnawing on a little cookie in the shape of a bone.

"I think it's cute!" Ino said, as she patted him on the head.

"Okay, just because I act like a dog, doesn't mean I _**am**_ one. That was taking it a little too far," he growled (pun intended).

"Jeez, I was just kidding, sorry…" she sighed in defeat.

The group continued onward toward the school, Kiba and Ino together in front, and Naruto, Chouji and Shikamaru in back. Naruto thought he heard something and he turned around. Sneaking up behind them was Temari. She held her finger to her lips, shushing Naruto. He was confused, but he kept quiet, curious as to what she was trying to do.

She snuck up right behind Shikamaru, and suddenly he was smothered by her, as she tackled him.

"Jesus! Temari, you scared the crap out of me!" Shikamaru said, still trying to recover from being startled. "Love you, too, honey!" she said. She had a huge grin on her face, and her arms wrapped around Shikamaru. No doubt, right now he was thinking of how "troublesome" she was. And yet, he couldn't help but smile.

'Damn,' Naruto thought. Temari and Shikamaru looked so happy together. So did Ino and Kiba. Heck, Chouji even had a girlfriend. They all seemed so happy. What could he say? He was jealous. He so desperately wanted someone he could talk to on the phone for hours, or someone who always made him feel good about himself, someone who actually understood him. Unfortunatly, there just wasn't anyone like that out there. Well, there was Hinata, but she wouldn't even talk to him in a million years, so she certainly would not hang out with him. He sighed.

'Oh well,' he thought, trying to push those bad thoughts to the back of his mind.

As the group approached the school, they heard the bell ring.

"Crap! We're all gunna be late!" Naruto said.

The group rushed inside, all except for Shikamaru, who couldn't be bothered. What did he care? He was acing all of his classes anyways. He was sure the teacher wouldn't mind if he was tardy just this once.

Naruto rushed inside his classroom, Kiba trailing behind him, and quickly got into his seat. Luckily the teacher was late. Then again, it _**was**_ Kakashi-sensei… He arrived, Icha Icha Paradise book in hand, naturally, and told the class to open up to some page in the textbook and do some practice work or something. Naruto wasn't even listening; he was too busy doodling on his paper.

Eventually, the bell rang, which startled Naruto, considering he was in the middle of a daydream. He made his way over to his next class, English. He didn't know too many people in this class, so he continued to do what he did best throughout class; doodle, daydream, and just overall not pay attention.

He continued to do this through all of his classes until he got to 6th period, his lunch period. This was his favorite time of day, naturally. Suddenly, he realized something that had yet to cross his mind; he had forgotten his lunch.

He groaned, stomach grumbling, and he went over to sit at his usual lunch table, which consisted of Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Temari, and Shino. He explained his problem to his fellow students, and they all told him that they couldn't bare to part with any of their food. He stomped off, grumbling something about how hungry he was. He then saw Hinata sitting at a table alone, with a delicious-looking lunch in front of her. God, she wasn't even eating any of it!

Naruto walked right up and plopped himself in the seat next to Hinata.

"Hey, Hinata!" he enthusiastically said.

At the sound of this, Hinata looked up, startled by his sudden arrival.

"O-oh, hey, Naruto" she stuttered.

"Umm, hey… Hinata, you don't look very hungry, are you planning on eating that food?" he said.

"Uhm… yes, I-I mean no, I mean… you can have it if you want it, Naruto…" she stammered.

"Awesome! Thanks a bunch, Hinata!" Naruto said as he vigorously began eating the lunch.

"Mmm! This is awesome!" he said through a mouthful of food.

"I'm glad y-you like it, Naruto…" Hinata said.

Naruto finished up quickly, and he wiped his mouth, no longer hungry.

"Thanks, Hinata!!! You're the best!" He said, grinning at her. "Alright, I'll see you later!" he said, as he walked back to his normal lunch table. When Naruto had left, Sakura ran up to Hinata and sat down next to her.

"What was _that_?!?!?" she whispered dramatically.

"W-what?" Hinata replied innocently.

"Naruto! What were you doing talking to him?!" she said. "Wait, don't tell me you actually like the kid?!?" She stared at Hinata incredulously.

"N-no! It's not like that!" Hinata stammered defensively. "He came over and just started talking to me! Besides, not that I do like him or anything, but what's the big deal? Why do you hate him so much?"

Sakura just stared at her in disbelief, as if this was something all people should just know automatically, no questions asked.

"He's not that bad…" Hinata said, more to herself than anyone else.

"Not that bad?!" Sakura was almost shouting.

"W-Well, whatever, I have to go make up a test, I-I'll see you later, Sakura…" Hinata said as she got up and left.

Of course, she didn't really have to go make up a test, but she didn't feel like listening to anymore of Sakura's scolding on the dangers of Naruto Uzumaki. What was the big deal about Naruto anyways? And why was Sakura so freaked out that they had talked for just a couple of seconds? Jeez, he was just a little hungry…

As Naruto saw Hinata walked away, his heart dropped. Of course, he was hungry, but that was just an excuse for going over to Hinata's table. He had wanted to give her the note before he went back to his table, but he had chickened out. Oh well, he would have to do it later on, maybe drop it off at her locker between classes or something. He wasn't sure how exactly he was going to do it, but it was going to get done one way or another before the end of the day.

**A/N: I'm not sure about you guys, but I think that chapter turned out pretty well! It's kind of weird though, to have such short chapters followed by one really long one. Unless I get a massive case of writers block (and I mean **_**massive**_**), then you can expect future chapters to be about this length. Keep those reviews coming!!! Thanks!**


	6. Delivery

**F/N: Uh-oh! I feel writer's block coming on! Next update might take a little longer than usual… I have the general idea done, but I'm not so sure about the details. Hope I get inspired soon! Anyways, be sure to R&R! Thanks!**

Alright, this was it…

He was really going to do it…

He stared at Hinata's locker, note in hand, thinking of any last minute changes he wanted to make to his plan. True, it was a simple enough plan; just put the note in the locker and wait, but even the simplest of plans could have the most fatal flaws.

Naruto sighed as he wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt. This was a stupid idea… What was he thinking, doing this???

'No! No backing down now!' he thought.

He looked down the hallway, and approached the locker once he was satisfied no one was coming. He slipped the dirty, tattered, folded piece of paper into the slot near the top of her locker, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

Whether he liked it or not, she had to read his note now. He couldn't undo what he had just done.

==*==

"…and that is why you must compensate for wind direction when calculating the trajectory of a thrown kunai." Iruka said.

Hinata was in her 7th period class, Math, furiously scribbling down notes, making sure to get every single detail the sensei had just said.

Suddenly, the bell rung, signifying the end of the period.

'Wow, is it the end of class already?' Hinata thought.

As students began to file out of the classroom, Hinata began packing her things.

"Hinata, you coming?" Sakura called.

"Y-yeah, one minute, let me just grab my calculator," she said as she stuffed said calculator into the front pocket of her backpack. "Thanks for waiting, Sakura," she said.

Hinata caught up with Sakura and they walked out the door, into the bustling hallways congested with students rushing to get to class.

Hinata and Sakura both went to their lockers, which were almost next to each other, because they were assigned lockers based on last name, in alphabetical order. Thus the two girls, (Hyuga and Haruno) had lockers rather close to each other.

Hinata approached her locker and entered in her combination. She opened it up, reaching inside for her books. As she pulled them out, a piece of paper floated to the ground. Apparently, it had been previously resting atop her books before it had fallen to the ground. She didn't remember putting anything else in her locker other than her books, and besides, Hinata was meticulous when it came to organization. When a handout or notes or any paper of any form was received from the teacher, it would be immediately filed into the appropriate binder, not folded up and carelessly tossed on top of her books in her locker. Clearly this wasn't hers…

So whose was it?

She gently picked it up off of the ground. It was covered in dirty smudges and food stains. Yeah, there was no way this could be hers; it was way too messy. Still, the questionable condition of the note did not do much to damper her curiosity. Why had this note been in her locker?

She unfolded it carefully, being careful not to rip it. What the heck did it say? She could barely read it! As she began to decipher the nearly incomprehensible chicken scratch on the paper, her face began to redden.

Sakura looked over at her friend, whose face was becoming steadily redder at an alarming rate. She walked over to where Hinata was standing.

"Hinata, what is it?" she asked quizzically.

She could offer no words of explanation; she was speechless. Instead, she simply held the note out to Sakura, who regarded it with confusion and curiosity.

"What does this even say?" Sakura asked, confused.

As she began to decipher the cryptic scribbles messily put down on paper, her jaw dropped. The note was apparently a love letter. It read;

_Dear Hinata,_

_Umm, I'm not really sure how to do this, but…_

_Here's the thing, I really like you. I think you're really beautiful, but you're always trying to hide it. And you're not just beautiful; you're also caring and kind. Whenever I'm around you I feel totally motivated to do my best. You're the reason I come to school every day with a smile on my face, no matter how bad things look, because I know you'll always be there to inspire me. I really like you and I think that I could make a great boyfriend, if you just give me a chance. If you think you like me, then meet me in the park behind Ichiraku's at 5._

That's what the note said. That's _**all**_ it said.

"What the hell?! The guy didn't even say who he was!" Sakura said exasperatedly.

'That wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting, even though… wait a minute, what?!?' Hinata thought. "How am I supposed to know if I like him or not if I don't even know who he is?!?"

The bell rang, signaling the start of the next class.

"Oh crap," Sakura muttered. "Look, Hinata, I gotta get to class, but get online when you get home so we can talk about this, okay?"

Hinata just stood there with a dumb expression on her face, completely unaware of the world around her. Eventually, someone bumped into her in their rush to get to class and she snapped out of her daze. She began to wander off, not sure what to do.

'Well, what the heck else are you supposed to do?! Get to class, dummy!' she thought to herself. She was totally out of it. That note had completely caught her off guard.

She wandered into her class and took a seat. Everyone else sat down as the teacher entered the room. Hinata completely blocked the world out, thinking only about the note. She was so absorbed in thought that she was caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Well, Hinata?" Anko-sensei asked her. She knew she had just been asked a question but had no idea what it was.

"I-I'm s-sorry sensei… I-I wasn't p-paying attention…" Hinata stammered, face reddening.

Anko just looked at her disbelieving for a second. How could Hinata, her star pupil, be caught off guard with such a simple question? What had caused this? She decided to let it slide this once, moving onto someone else, asking the same question.

Hinata just buried her face in her hands, wishing she could just disappear. She had never been more embarrassed. The weight of everyone's eyes on her made her feel so horrible. Eventually, they stopped staring and Hinata continued the rest of her day in a daze.

She was so glad when the final bell rang, officially bringing the school day to an end. She needed to get home and talk to Sakura online. If anyone could help her out, it was Sakura. She was very popular among the guys of their school, so she should be able to come up with a plan for her.

When she got home, she ran straight up to her room. She dropped her backpack on the floor and grabbed her laptop from her desk, opening it as she did so. It was already on, so she got online right away. She glanced at her buddy list, and…. darn, she wasn't on yet, although, honestly Hinata wasn't too surprised, because a lot of kids weren't even home yet, let alone online.

Hinata waited for what seemed like hours, which actually only ended up being about 10 minutes, before Sakura signed on.

**violeteyez67: **WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!

**cherryblossomkiss21: **Woah! Hina, chill! I got on as soon as I got home! besides it's only been what… 15 minutes since the end of school???

**violeteyez67: **I'm sorry, Saks, but I've been freakin' out. I have no idea what the heck I'm supposed to do!

**cherryblossomkiss21:** Jeez, Hinata, I don't think I've ever seen you like this… o.0

**violeteyez67:** I know, it's horrible! I have now officially lost my mind… -_-'

**cherryblossomkiss21:** alright, well what are you going to do?

**violeteyez67:** what do you mean?

**cherryblossomkiss21:** the guy! what are you going to do about him?!

**violeteyez67:** …I'm supposed to do something???

**cherryblossom21:** are you going to the park? you know, meeting him behind ichiraku's? remember?

**violeteyez67:** well what am I supposed to do?! I don't even know who the guy _**is**_!

**cherryblossomkiss21:** well…. one minute! lemme think!

**violeteyez67:** …

**cherryblossomkiss21:** got it!

**violeteyez67:** what is it?

**cherryblossomkiss21:** alright, so what you should do is make a list of all the guys in the school and decide who you would date and who you wouldn't in the school, so when you see this guy, you'll have already made up your mind… I know it's not the best, but it's better than nothing ~ o.0

**violeteyez67:** ok, so let's make a list

As Hinata sent the message, she pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil.

**violeteyez67:** ready…

**cherryblossomkiss21:** arite, how about we start out with the guys in our homeroom… k, rite these down… Neji, Kiba, Sasuke, Naruto (ick), Kankuro, Gaara, Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino… not too many guys to choose from… -_-'

**violeteyez67:** okay…. I'm gunna hafta say… Neji; WHAT?!? he's my cousin!( besides, he's so anti social….) Kiba… well he's not that bad, but he smells like dog breath, and I heard he once ate dog biscuits! (eww!)

**cherryblossomkiss21:** I hear ya with Neji, and Kiba…. wait what?!!??! EWW!!! I certainly wouldn't want to kiss somebody if they just ate a dog treat! yuck! ok, so whut about everyone else?

**violeteyez67:** alrighty, so… Sasuke; omg! no way, no way, no way! not in a million years!

**cherryblossomkiss21:** well I disagree with that statement completely, but I kinda understand why. go on...

Hinata paused, looking at the next name. _Naruto_. What did she think of him?

**violeteyez67:** Naruto…. well….. um….

**cherryblossomkiss21:** are you serious!!!! pass up on Sasuke and go for an idiot like Naruto?!?!?!?!? WTF

**violeteyez67:** relax, Saks! I'm not saying I like him or anything! I'm just saying I'm not quite sure about him. honestly, whats the big deal about him? why do you hate him so much?! he's not _**that**_ bad…

**cherryblossomkiss21: **well, why do I hate him so much…? I'm not even gunna bother wasting my breath (or finger energy?), but there are, like a million reason for me (and everyone else) to hate him with a burning passion.

Sakura and Hinata continued going through their list with most of the other potential candidates in the school, and by the time they were through, Hinata's head was a jumble of thoughts.

**violeteyez67:** well, I think I need to catch some z's… I'll see ya 2moro?

**cherryblossomkiss21:** ugh… fine, but we should talk about boys more, ok? you never talk about that stuff with me! oh well, sweet dreams!

**violeteyez67:** ok, ok… well I gotta go then… ttyl

**cherryblossomkiss21:** night!

**violeteyez67:** night, Sakura.

**~ violeteyez67 has just signed off ~**

Hinata put her laptop back onto her desk, along with the pad of paper with the boy's names written on it and jumped back onto her bed. She buried herself under her covers, not even bothering to change out of the clothes she wore that day. She stared up at the ceiling and drifted off into sleep as thoughts of boys drifted through her head.

**A/N:** Another great chapter!!! Sorry for the IM conversation, couldn't think of any other way to end it, even though I know some of you guys don't like having to look at that stuff, and try and contemplate it's meaning. I know that there are misspellings in the instant messaging bit, I put those in there on purpose so it was more believable. Well I guess that's it! 'Till next chapter!


	7. Caught RedHanded

**A/N: O. M. G!!! Naruto and Hinata get so out of character in this chapter, they basically switch roles. Although it makes it kinda cute, it's seems kind of inaccurate to the whole Naruto storyline. idk…. Oh well. Anyways, this one is a little shorter than what I've been doing, just because I've hit a small case of writer's block, but don't worry, next chapter should turn out just fine. R&R! Thanks!**

"-na…ta"

"…Hina-…"

Hinata heard someone calling to her… where was she? She couldn't remember anything, still half asleep.

"HINATA!" Hanabi shouted in her face.

Hinata sat up at once, blinking several times at the bright light her eyes were not yet accustomed to. Her grogginess and confusion led her to form what appeared to be a pathetic attempt at a question.

"Wha….?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"You slept through your alarm clock, dummy! We're gunna be late if you don't hurry up!" Hanabi told her older sister.

Hinata immediately sat straight up, fully awake now. She got out of bed and shoved Hanabi out the door.

"What are you doing?! Get your hands off of me!" she whined.

"Out, out, out!!!!" Hinata said.

As soon as Hanabi had left the room, she began to change into some clean clothes, considering she had slept in yesterday's outfit. She had a quick glance in the mirror, quickly brushed her hair, and went downstairs into the kitchen, where she grabbed an apple before running out the door.

"Sis! What are you doing?!?!?" Hanabi called out to her.

"No time! See you after school, Hanabi!" she called back.

"Ugh, Hinata, you dolt" Hanabi said to herself, as she watched her older sister dash off to school.

Hinata hated being late to school. It meant stumbling into her first period class and stuttering out an explanation to the teacher as he/she looked at Hinata skeptically. Even worse than that though, was, of course, the fact that all eyes would be on her. All of her friends and classmates, staring at her as she burst through the door, looking completely disheveled and out of breath. For this very reason, she could absolutely _not_ be late.

As she ran to school, thoughts from yesterday began popping into her head. Crap, she still hadn't given very much thought to the note dropped in her locker.

As she approached the school, she noticed that people were still hanging around outside.

'Good,' she thought. 'The bell hasn't rung yet'.

Hinata walked through the front doors and continued down the hallway to her locker. As she neared her locker, she was happy to see a familiar face. It was Naruto, standing on top of a chair, attempting to rig up his infamous chalk-board-eraser-over-the-door prank over one of the nearby classrooms. Hinata walked up behind him, keenly observing what he was doing.

Whenever a prank like this happened, and all fingers pointed to Naruto, the whole class would groan, everyone except Hinata that is. She would always let a giggle escape from her lips, but of course, everyone was so caught up in complaining about what an idiot Naruto was, nobody ever noticed Hinata smiling.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata said.

"Huhn?" Naruto said, turning around on top of his chair. Unfortunately, his balance wasn't that good, and he felt himself falling. He landed with a thud atop none other than Hinata herself.

Naruto began blushing profusely at the situation, but Hinata just thought he was embarrassed because he had been caught red-handed. Despite being a little startled, Hinata let a small smile come to her face. She was not used to dealing with boys, so the idea that Naruto might have written the letter never occurred to her.

Naruto got up and gave Hinata his hand. She grabbed it and was hoisted up. His hand was so warm, and his grip was so strong and reassuring.

'Ah, stop it!' Hinata thought, bringing that train of thought to a crashing halt as she scolded herself for thinking such things.

"I-I'm sorry Hinata. I just lost my balance, that's all" Naruto explained.

"It's no big deal. It's not your fault." Hinata said, smiling.

"Alright, well I gotta go… somewhere" Naruto said before running off.

'Hmm…' Hinata thought. 'Naruto's acting very strange…'

She dismissed it, shrugging her shoulder, and headed off to her first period class.

**A/N: zomg… Naruto blushing "profusely" while stuttering? Hinata completely clueless? Tell me that those roles are not completely switched. Oh well. Be sure to R&R! Thanks!**


	8. Classwork

**A/N: I know in the last chapter Naruto and Hinata switched roles, but don't worry; there won't be too much more of that. I don't know what came over me -_-'. Anyways, shout out to NHBeliever for a great review! By the way, I'm also sorry for not updating in like…. FOREVER. I hit massive writers block, and I was just completely devastated. I am sooooo sorry! Anyways, enjoy!**

"Hey, Hinata!" Sakura called out to her friend.

Hinata looked over to see Sakura waving over to her frantically, motioning for her to sit down next to her.

She sighed in exasperation as she sat down next to her ecstatic friend.

"Hey, Hinata!" she said excitedly.

"U-uh, hey...?" Hinata uneasily replied.

She looked questioningly at the pink-haired friend, wondering why she seemed so happy.

So... how about this guy then?" Sakura asked.

"Jeez, you're right to the point, aren't you?" Hinata asked sarcastically, although she couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, come on, Hinata! Do we **ever** get girl time like this?" Sakura looked at Hinata with a mock look of exasperation on her face.

That much was true. Hinata never had any 'drama' going on with any boys, which frustrated Sakura to no end, not only because she was totally deserving of some great guy, but also because she never got to talk about guys with Hinata. Not until now, anyways.

"Anyways, what are you going to do?" Sakura asked.

Hinata just stared at her dumbly. What was she going to do about what? Was there anything she _could_ do? She had no idea who this guy was, so there really wasn't anything to do except wait for the little 'rendezvous' at Ichiraku's and take it from there.

Hinata's train of thought was interrupted by the school bell ringing.

"You wait just one second young lady!" Sakura said. "Don't think you're getting out of this _**that**_ easily!!!" she said as she produced a piece of lined paper and a pencil. Hinata sighed, taking a seat near Sakura. Usually the teacher didn't care where you sat, as long as you were quiet.

"Alright everyone, take your seats!" the teacher, who happened to be Kakashi-sensei, said to his students. Basically, all Kakashi did was give the class a ton of worksheets to do, and he never, repeat, never gave lectures or lessons, unless he could continue reading Icha-Icha Paradise while doing so. He loved how he could get paid to do nothing but hand out papers and read mature novels.

"Today's work packet will be very important. Notice how I said 'packet' instead of 'worksheet'? That's because today you have a LOT more work than usual." The class groaned as Kakashi passed out the aforementioned packets, each one landing with a loud thump on the student's desks as they were dropped one by one.

"Whatever you don't get done in class will be finished for homework." He said.

The class groaned once more, all except for Sakura. This meant that she could just pass notes with Hinata for the whole period and do it for homework. She looked over at Hinata with a grin.

Hinata immediately understood, and vigorously shook her head.

'No way!' she mouthed.

She furiously began to scribble something down on a scrap piece of paper that was conveniently under her desk. She then passed it over to Sakura.

It read; 'No way, I have enough homework as it is! All the teachers are piling it on! Besides, I have training today, too!!!'

'Too bad' Sakura mouthed, with a smug grin on her face, knowing she could not lose. No matter how hard Hinata tried, Sakura always got her was in the end, but it wasn't exactly a bad thing. She was just trying to help her out, so as aggravated as she was, she knew Sakura's intentions were good.

Kakashi had finished passing out all of the packets, and Sakura had made use of the piece of paper that lay before her.

She began to scribble down some notes, and then proceeded to pass the piece of paper discreetly over to Hinata. Hinata read the note.

_Hina, what is the deal with this guy, like seriously?! What are you going to do if it's a guy you like? Or one you don't for that matter?_

Hinata began writing her response. She continually paused and would stare at the piece of paper blankly, not sure how to continue. Finally, she passed the paper back to Sakura.

_O.K., for the fifteenth time, I have NO IDEA. If it's someone I don't like, well that's fine and all, considering I just tell him to get lost (a lot nicer than that, though) but if it's a guy I like (psh, I wish…) what am I supposed to do? If I say yes, am I saying yes to a date or to being his girlfriend? Because I've heard people talking about people they were "going out with", but they weren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend… WTF. Besides, be it a single date or a longer relationship, I am still completely clueless when it comes to boys, in case you've forgotten. I am going to need so much help with this…._

Sakura read it with a look of concern on her face, and she began to write her response.

_Don't worry Hina! That's what I'm here for! I don't mind helping you out with guy issues; it's actually kind of fun! Like I said before though, most of this stuff you just have to play by ear, and come up with solutions to your problems when the need arises, but until then, just don't worry about it so much!_

After being passed the note and having read it, Hinata's face softened. Maybe she _was_ worrying about this too much. She should just not worry about it so much. Wasn't a first love supposed to be romantic and joyful anyways? She hadn't experienced any of that, just frustration and nervousness.

They continued to pass notes all the way up until the end of class, and when the bell rang, Sakura turned to face Hinata.

"Hey, you better be online after school! I want to talk to you before and after this whole Ichiraku thing, ok???" Sakura said.

"Alright, I'll be sure to get on." Hinata said.

"Alright, then I'll see you later! Sakura said, waving goodbye to Hinata as she did so.

'Yeah, that's what I'll do; I'll tackle problems as they arise.' Thought Hinata, happy to finally have that problem solved, at least temporarily.

**A/N: Wow, that chapter SUCKED. Sorry about that. I just needed a chapter to link two ideas together so this is like a 'bridge' chapter, if you will. Also this chapter was kind of for letting you guys know I haven't died or fallen off the edge of the world or anything. Better stuff will follow this chapter I promise!**


	9. Hinata's Decision

**A/N: OMFG. How did this chapter end up being so long?! I think it turned out really good too! This took a lot of work to finally type and post. 10% of the typing was done on my modded iPod Nano, which took FOREVER just to complete that little amount. And I wrote out the whole chapter on pen and paper before I typed it up. I spent many classes during History and English writing this chapter when I should have been taking notes. Haha. You might need a basic understanding of texting/IM slang just for the beginning of the chapter, and FYI, all spelling or grammar errors in the texts are intentional. Oh, and about Tsuyoki, I didn't really want to put an original character in the story, but there weren't really any characters I could use in place of her, so, yeah... Anyways, enjoy!**

Naruto walked down the sidewalk to school, staring intently at the screen of his cell phone, deciding who he should text. He finally decided upon Shikamaru.

To: Shika

[hey dude, I need some hlp plz! I asked out this girl and idk what to do!]

He hit the Send button, hoping Shikamaru would text him back soon. It took merely a few seconds for his reply.

From: Shika

[Uhm...wtf? who was it? did she say yes or no? details, man! give me something to work with!]

To: Shika

[well, it was Hinata... I told her to w8 and give me her answer ltr]

From: Shika

[Hinata? really? hm... well idk what to tell u... do you have any idea what she might say?]

To Shika:

[no! Id like 2 think she'd say yes, but maybe thats just wishful thinking... ughhh, idk]

From Shika:

[well, get back to me w/ more info and maybe I can help u, but I gotta get back 2 taking notes...]

To Shika:

[notes?? WTF?? who is this and what have you done w/ shika?? not only r u the last one 2 put any effort into anything, including notes, school hasnt evn started yet!!]

From Shika:

[dude, chill... I was told that these notes were rly important, so I'm just copying them from some1]

To Shika:

[who?]

[...Temari...]

To Shika:

[zomfg u luv herrrrr!]

From Shika:

[cool it with the r's! I don't. I just think she's... well idk how 2 explain it, but I feel like I don't have to worry about how I look or act or w/ev. she just accepts me 4 who I am. which is something I can't say about 2 many ppl. -.-]

To Shika:

[hey man, I know what u mean... honestly tho, are you there to actually take notes, or just to chill with her?]

From Shika:

[the latter...]

To Shika:

[huh?]

From Shika:

[ugh... that means the second one. -_-']

To Shika:

[ohhh... haha xD]

From Shika:

[anyways, don't tell any1 about all that stuff i just said... alright, well i gotta get back 2 copying these notes. ltr]

Naruto, having read the last text, closed his phone, putting it in his pocket. He began to contemplate what today would be like. He was sure it would be absolute torture. School was bad enough already, but having to wait until the end of the day for Hinata's answer was going to drive him crazy. And he still had no clue what he was going to do. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Tsuyoki popped up in front of him.

"Heya, Naruto" she said.

"Hey, Tsuyoki. Jeeze, you scared me" Naruto said. Tsuyoki giggled.

"Hey, have you seen Shika-kun around by any chance?" she asked.

Naruto sighed in exasperation. Tsuyoki adored Shikamaru. She was really cute, but she could just be too energetic sometimes, which obviously wasn't Shikamaru's 'style'.

Naruto almost wanted to tell her that her beloved "Shika-kun" was with another girl right now, but that would have just been cruel, and besides, he had told Shikamaru that he wouldn't tell anyone. If he said anything, Tsuyoki, the queen of gossip, would surely start spreading rumors about Temari out of jealousy, and that certainly wouldn't go well. Instead, he just said,

"Naw, sorry. Haven't seen him around."

"Aww man..." she pouted. "Oh well. See ya later, Naruto!"

"Later, Tsuyoki." Tsuyoki was a junior, just like Shikamaru and Naruto, and Naruto actually shared some classes with her. She had short brown hair that was often just combed straight. She was actually a really nice person, although she could sometimes be a little too... spazzy. Naruto continued onwards towards school, his mind drifting from one thought to the next. He was walking along, looking at the ground, deep in though, when suddenly, a figure stepped in front of him. He looked up and saw Kiba.

"Oh hey, Kiba, what's up?" Naruto asked.

"Ehh, nuthin' really, you?"

"Nothing... hey, how's Ino doing?"

"She's good."

"That's awesome, you two seem great together."

"Haha, yeah I guess..."

Naruto and Kiba continued towards the school, chatting as they went.

[=[ Meanwhile, in the Hyuga Household...]=]

"Hanabi! What did you do with my sweatshirt?" Hinata yelled. Hanabi just shrugged.

"I dunno... Hey, here's a crazy idea; Why don't you wear something other than that darn sweatshirt for once in your life!"

"HANABI! Now is not the time! As it is, I'll barely be able to make it to school on time! And besides, I have to talk to this boy today, and-"

"Wait, what!? You? Talking to a boy?!" Hanabi glanced at her watch. "Ugh, not enough time for you to tell me now, you'll have to share the details later. And as for the clothes... Alright, let's go get you an outfit real quick." Hinata found herself being dragged into her room by Hanabi.

"Alright, you'll need this, and that, and this..." Hanabi muttered to herself as she haphazardly yanked clothes out of Hinata's closet and tossed them into a pile in the middle of the room. Once she was finished, she picked up the bundle of clothes and thrust it at Hinata. "Here, try this stuff on..."

"But-!" Hinata began to protest.

"Enough with the darn sweatshirt! We'll deal with that in a minute! I just want to see how you look in this." Hanabi said. Hinata changed into the clothes her sister had selected.

"Alright." Hinata said.

Hanabi, who had turned her back, now saw Hinata in her specially selected outfit.

"See, that looks great!" Hanabi said.

Hinata looked in the mirror. She was sporting a tight pair of jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt. It wasn't anything outrageous, but compared to Hinata's usual attire, it was a huge change.

"Okay, we got to play your little dress-up game. Now where's my sweatshirt?!" she asked.

"Alright, well... funny thing about that is, I have no idea where it is. I was just messing with you. Hehe..." Hanabi laughed nervously.

"What?!" Hinata yelled.

"GIRLS! I want you both out that door right now!! You're going to be late!" Hinata's father yelled from the other room.

"B-but Dad!" Hinata protested.

"No excuses! Off to school you go!"

Hinata ran into the kitchen, grabbed her backpack, and was out the door.

"Good luck with that boy today!" Hanabi yelled after her.

*Ringgggg*

"Finally! I thought that class would never end!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You're telling me..." Shikamaru sighed.

Finally, it was 5th period; their lunch period. Just as Naruto had expected, the day had been torturously slow. He still had three more periods to endure until the school day was over and he met Hinata.

"Hey, I gotta go to my locker real quick. Can you save me a spot at the lunch table?"

"Yeah, sure. I gotta make a call anyways."

Shikamaru reached into his pocket, only to come back empty handed.

"What the heck? Where is it?"

Shikamaru began searching through his other pockets, but still he couldn't find his cell phone.

"Crap... I think I lost it..."

"Well, when was the last time you had it?" Naruto asked.

"When I was texting you this morning, I think."

"Alright, well, I gotta go to my locker real quick, but I'll be back in just a minute, and then we can figure out what's going on." Naruto said.

Naruto began walking to his locker down a side hall. He liked it here, because it was never crowded. Currently, there wasn't anyone in the hallway. Suddenly, however, Kiba appeared in front of Naruto.

"Hey, Kiba."

"Hey, uh, Naruto, what's all this talk about you and Hinata?"

"What?! What do you mean "all this talk"?? Who told you about that!?"

"Not important. What is important is the fact that Hinata's a great girl, and she deserves a lot better than you."

"What the hell, Kiba! Besides, shouldn't you be focused on Ino? You know, that girl you just happen to be dating? As in NOT Hinata??"

"Whatever man, just watch yourself, got it?"

Before Naruto could retort, Kiba was off. What the hell? Who was Kiba to say he wasn't good enough for Hinata? And how did he even figure out about that in the first place? Shit! Shikamaru's phone! Somebody must have found it and read through the text messages! Naruto rushed back to the cafeteria to tell Shikamaru.

"What the hell?" Shikamaru asked.

"I know, right?" Naruto said.

"Oh shit, that means all of that stuff I said about Temari is probably spreading around, too!"

"Exactly."

"Sunuva... Alright, I guess we need to figure out who has my phone, then." Shikamaru sighed.

Naruto and Shikamaru entered the cafeteria, figuring it would be a good place to start. They walked over to the table they normally sat at. Neji, Chouji, Sasuke, Lee, and Gaara were seated there.

"Hey, guys, has anyone seen my cell phone? I lost it, and I haven't seen it since this morning." Shikamaru explained. "No's" echoed around the table.

"Maybe you should ask that Tsuyoki chick. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help her beloved 'Shika-kun'" Chouji joked.

"Ugh, you guys suck..." Shikamaru groaned.

Despite Shikamaru's obvious dislike of the idea, it probably would be the best course of action to take, given the situation.

"C'mon, let's go Naruto. There's no way I'm going over to the girls table alone. Shikamaru said.

"Alright." Naruto said.

They approached the girls' table. Seated at the table were Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Tsuyoki, Kin, and Karen.

"Hey, guys" Shikamaru said.

"Hey, Shika-kun!" Tsuyoki said. "Oh, hi Naruto." she said with notably less enthusiasm.

"Hey, I was wondering if any of you guys have seen my cell phone."

"Nope." everyone said.

Sakura looked over to Naruto, and noticed that he was looking around.

"Looking for someone, Naruto?" Sakura joked.

"Huh? Oh, no! Haha, no, I'm just looking around." Naruto laughed nervously.

"Haha, yeah, surrreee..." Ino said sarcastically. "Well, if you WERE looking for someone, I think she'd probably be in the bathroom. She'd probably have seen you coming and booked it outta here, because she was so nervous. But, I mean, you're not, so never mind..."

The girls seated at the table giggled.

"Oh, and by the way, next time you right a little love note, you might want to sign it!" Sakura laughed.

"Wait... what?! You're not saying I didn't write my name on it, are you?!" Naruto said.

"Haha, don't worry about it. Hinata's kind of freaking out about it 'cause she has no idea who it is, but we've heard the rumors and now that we know it's you, we'll tell her as soon as she gets back."

"Oh. Thanks so much, then." Naruto said.

"Sure, no problem!" Sakura grinned.

"Alright, well, the search continues, I guess..." Shikamaru said.

"'Kay! See you guys later!" Tsuyoki said.

As soon as Shikamaru and Naruto left, the girls seated at the table turned to look at Tsuyoki.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You totally have his phone, don't you?" Tenten asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, so what if I do?" she said.

"Tsuyoki!"

"What! What's the big deal??" she asked.

Everyone at the table groaned in exasperation.

"Why the heck would you even do that?" Tenten asked.

"It's all part of my plan!" Tsuyoki exclaimed.

"Oh great… Another one of your crazy schemes to get the guy? I'm almost afraid to ask." Ino said.

"Alright, well get this; Shikamaru can't find his phone, and he is clearly devastated by this. He'll continue to look, but to no avail! And just when all hope is lost, Tsuyoki comes to save the day! Then Shika-kun will be so thankful, he won t be able to say no when I ask him on a date!" Tsuyoki explained.

Sakura sighed. "Why do you have to come up with this elaborate, overly complicated plans? Why can't you just talk to him and be yourself?"

"Because he doesn't like me if I m being myself!" Tsuyoki said.

"Well, then clearly he isn't the guy for you."

Suddenly, Hinata returned to the table.

"Hey, sorry about that. I wasn't feeling too well." She explained.

"Aw, c'mon Hina, we know you saw Naruto coming over here and were embarrassed." Ino said.

"Th-That's not true! I don't even know if he's the one who wrote the letter!" Hinata stammered.

"Haha, relax, Hinata. It's fine." Ino said.

"Oh, by the way, is that why you re all dressed up today? Sakura said, winking.

"No! It's all my sister's fault." Hinata explained.

"Haha. It s fine! No big deal. It looks great, anyways. I'm sure Naruto will love it!" Sakura said.

"Wait, what?!? Naruto? Why do you guys keep saying Naruto?! Am I missing something here?!" She asked, clearly freaking out.

"Well, there happen to be some rumors floating around about you two. Not to mention he came over here himself and told us about it." Sakura said.

"Really?! Well... you really think he'll like this stupid outfit?" she asked.

"Haha, you are so in love with him!" Ino joked.

"W-What?! I am not!"

"It s ok, Hina. It s actually really cute. Haha." Tenten said.

Hinata just sighed.

"So, do you have any idea what you re going to say to him?" Sakura said.

"I'm not sure… it's all so sudden…" Hinata said.

"Oh c'mon! You've liked him since like the 3rd grade!" Karen said.

"I have not! I had a little crush on him a long time ago. I don't know if I still like him though…" Hinata said.

"Well, despite how I act towards Naruto, I do actually think he's a really great guy." Sakura said.

"Yeah." The other girls agreed.

"You know, it's funny everybody used to hate him, but I guess now we've grown to see he really isn't that bad of a guy" Karen said.

= End of the school day =

"Hey, I'll see you later." Naruto said.

"Alright, later man." Shikamaru said.

Naruto began walking towards Ichiraku's. He approached the small ramen shop and sat down.

"Heya, Naruto!" Ayame greeted him.

"Hi." Naruto replied.

"The usual?" Ayame asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah." Naruto said.

She prepared a bowl of hot ramen for Naruto and placed it in front of him. Naruto looked at the bowl of ramen in front of him. He idly swirled the noodles around in the bowl, apparently deep in thought. The blond haired teenager would have gone through his third bowl by now on a normal day.

"You feeling okay, Naruto?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just thinking." Naruto said, flashing Ayame a grin. She wasn't sure if he was just saying that so that she wouldn't worry about him, but she decided to leave him alone for the time being. After a while, Naruto thanked Ayame, left some money on the table and set off towards the park, where he had told Hinata they would meet. After a few torturous minutes, Hinata arrived, sitting down next to Naruto on the park bench.

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said.

"H-hi, N-Naruto..." she stuttered. Hinata was clearly very nervous, as she was blushing a lot, and her stuttering was even worse than normal. That's not to say Naruto wasn't nervous too, because he was. He just had more practice masking what he felt.

"Sooo... about that note..." Naruto said.

"Y-Yeah... well, the thing is..." Hinata began. She stopped and took a deep breath.

'Uh-oh...' Naruto thought. 'That doesn't sound good...'

"A-Alright, well... I-I... I really like you!" she blurted out.

"Whoa... seriously?" Naruto said in disbelief.

"Mhm..." Hinata mumbled, barely audible.

"Wow... why me? Just out of curiosity. I'm not complaining or anything, I'm just so surprised. I'm not even sure why I told you I liked you... I thought there was no way you would like me." Naruto said.

"H-How could I not like you?! Y-You're funny, you're brave, you never give up, and..." Hinata mumbled something Naruto was unable to hear.

"What?" Naruto said.

"A-And I think you're really cute!" Hinata blurted.

This time, Naruto was the one blushing.

"That... That's just crazy!" Naruto said in disbelief.

"W-Why is that so crazy? I-I think it's true..." Hinata said.

"Yeah, but how could someone like you like me? I mean, you're so smart, and so nice, and you're beautiful on top of it all! You could probably get any guy you wanted..." Naruto said.

Hinata felt like her cheeks were on fire. 'He thinks I'm "beautiful"?' she thought. She used her signature move, twiddling her fingers together and staring at the ground, avoiding all eye contact.

"S-So what does this mean? What should we do?" Naruto asked.

"I-I don't know. Maybe we should just stay friends for now, m-maybe get to know each other better..." Hinata said.

"Sounds good to me, I guess!" Naruto said, smiling at Hinata.

"Well, hey, you wanna start off by getting something to eat?" Naruto asked.

"S-Sure... what did you have in mind?" Hinata asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Naruto joked.

Hinata giggled. "R-Ramen?" she asked.

"Of course!" Naruto said, grinning.

"So hey, about that chemistry project Kurenai-sensei assigned today. What the heck is the deal with that?! I don't get it at all!" Naruto said.

"M-maybe we could both work on it later. I might be able to help you." Hinata offered.

"Aw, you'd really do that? Thanks! You're the best!" Naruto said, smiling.

The two walked off towards the ramen shop, chatting happily.

**A/N: Wait! Stop right there! Before you think it s over, just because Naruto got the girl, it isn't. I have a LOT more drama planned out in the upcoming chapters, so don t think Naruto has already found his happy ending. Oh no, I assure you, he ll have to go through a lot more drama before the end of this fan fiction. Until next time!**


	10. Making Plans

**A/N: Wow I think this is another good chapter! I updated pretty quickly for a chapter of this length, if I do say so myself. I couldn't help it, but there's another instant messaging conversation. This time it's a chatroom with several people at once. I know it can be a little confusing at some points, but just stick with it! Sorry, I know IM convo's probably aren't everyone's favorite thing in the world when it comes to fan fiction, but I'll try and make that the last one! Anyways, enjoy!**

Hinata was walking with Naruto when suddenly her phone started ringing.

"S-Sorry, I'll just be a second…" she told Naruto.

"Hello?" she said as she flipped open her phone.

"Hey, Hina! It's me, Sakura! You aren't still with Naruto, are you?" Sakura said.

"Y-yeah." Hinata replied.

"Oh! Sorry! I'll let you two love birds get back to making out or doing whatever it is you were doing." Sakura said. Hinata felt her face grow hot.

"W-We weren't making out!!" she stammered. Naruto looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, and gave her a look as if to ask 'What the heck are you talking about?'. This, of course, only made Hinata blush even more.

"Haha, yeah, yeah… Just give me a call when you get the chance, okay?" Sakura asked.

"Alright…" Hinata said.

"'Kay! Bye then!" she said cheerfully.

"Bye…" Hinata said.

"S-Sorry about that..." Hinata said as she put away her phone, an apologetic look on her face.

"Don't worry about it! Lemme guess… Sakura?" he asked.

Hinata smiled meekly. "Y-Yeah..." she replied.

"Haha, yeah, she can be like that sometimes..." Naruto said, chuckling.

"Yeah..." The two continued to walk for a little longer until they came to stop in front of a large house. "Alright, well this is it..." Hinata said.

"Wow, this is where you live?!" Naruto asked, clearly impressed. "Sure beats my place!" he smiled.

Hinata smiled. "A-Alright, well thank you very much for walking me home." she said.

"Sure! Don't mention it! Maybe we can do this again soon!" said Naruto.

Hinata really liked that idea, but of course, she was too timid to say that to Naruto. Instead she, simply said, "Y-yeah..."

"Alright, well, have a good weekend, I guess! Message me on AIM or Facebook or something!" Naruto said.

"A-Alright, bye."

Hinata walked up the front walkway, opening the front door and stepping inside her house. She had barely managed to say "I'm home" before Neji appeared.

"What were you doing with Naruto?" he asked, perhaps a little _too_ curious.

"W-What?! I-It's none of your business! And how do you even know I was with Naruto?!" Hinata asked.

"I was simply looking out the window when I saw you two approach the house." Neji said.

"W-Well, whatever! It's none of your business!" she said.

Just then, Hiashi walked in. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was simply asking Hinata why she was walked home by Naruto Uzumaki." Neji explained.

"Neji!!" Hinata nearly shouted at him.

"What? Is this true, Hinata? Were you socializing with Naruto?" Hiashi asked.

"W-Why does it matter if I was?! What's the big deal?!" Hinata shouted, growing angry at them for prying into her personal matters.

"Well, the truth is... Hinata, do you remember me telling you that story about the attack on Konoha several years ago by a fox demon?" Hiashi asked.

"Y-Yeah. What does that have to do with this, though??" Hinata asked, no longer angry, but certainly very confused and curious at the same time.

"Well, the demon was so strong that it couldn't be killed. So instead, it was weakened and sealed inside a human vessel. This human vessel was a newborn child, and from then on, the child's most important task was to continue to provide a 'home', if you will, for the demon, whether he liked it or not. It became his duty. The people of Konoha hated the boy, and they blamed him for the disastrous attack. Most elders still distrust the boy. That boy I am referring to is Naruto." Hiashi explained.

"W-What...?!" Hinata uttered. She stood there for a few moments, trying to work out what her father had told her, and then it all clicked into place.

"That's ridiculous!! If anything, he's doing the town of Konoha a favor by being the vessel for that demon! And what do the townspeople do in return? They isolate and shun him!! That's horrible... and besides! So what if there is a demon inside Naruto? Who cares? It's been sealed in him for this long and nothing has happened!" she said.

"Well, that's true, but what would happen if you were near him and the demon somehow got free? I just can't allow you to talk to him, it's just too dangerous." Hiashi said.

Hinata didn't say anything, she just ran off to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Confused and doubtful, she dived onto her bed. She then picked up her laptop that was lying on the floor next to her bed and turned it on. She logged on, signing onto Facebook and AIM, hoping someone who could help was logged on. Of course, it being a Friday, all of her friends were on. Suddenly a message popped onto the screen.

**cherryblossomkiss21:** heyy, Hina!

**violeteyez67:** hey. Hold on, lemme start a chart room…

* * *

**violeteyez67 **has entered. [Hinata]

**cherryblossomkiss21** has entered. [Sakura]

**w3aponlvr** has entered. [Tenten]

**blondisbtr6** has entered. [Ino]

**konohacheer17** has entered. [Karen]

**Tsuchan5** has entered. [Tsuyoki]

**cherryblossomkiss21**: hey hina!

**w3aponlvr**: omg! Hina!!

**blondisbtr6**: omfg!!!! Hinataaaaaaa!!

**tsuchan5**: OMFQRPLZ15723MNG!!!! HINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

**violeteyez67**: umm… heyy. And please chill, tsuyoki… -_-'

**tsuchan5**: soreeeee… xp

**cherryblossomkiss21**: so hina, babe; tell us the deets!

**blondisbtr6**: omg, yeah! what s the deal with Naruto?

**violeteyez67**: idk…

**blondisbtr6**: …?

**violeteyez67**: hey, do you guys know about Naruto and why he was treated so poorly before?

**w3aponlvr**: ohh man… I mean, of course all of us know it, but did you not know that before?

**violeteyez67**: no! now I'm not sure what to do! my dad even says I shouldn't see him, because of a certain stupid cousin of mine…

**w3aponlvr**: heyy! Don't talk about my future husband that way! (xD)

**konohacheer17**: my goodness, woman. If you don't build up the courage to act upon your 'burning desire' and ask that boy out already, I am going to smack you!

**w3aponlvr**: haha, alright fine... we'll worry about that later, though.

**blondisbtr6**: anyways, hina; had you not discovered this little 'flaw' in your perfect guy, what would you think of Naruto?

**violeteyez67**: well… I'd say he's very kind, confident, funny…

**tsuchan5**: don't forget cute! xD

**cherryblossomkiss21**: …

**blondisbtr6**: …

**w3aponlvr**: …huh??

**tsuchan5**: oh! Haha, no, I meant _you_ probably think he's cute, right? I didn't mean _I_ personally think he's cute… not that he's ugly or anything, though! uhh… I think I'll just shut up now…

**blondisbtr6**: good idea… xp

**cherryblossomkiss21**: anyways… look hina, he actually has all those good qualities you mentioned! There's just the matter of the kyuubi inside of him, which isn't even that big of a deal. It's just some stupid thing that happened a long time ago, and all these old geezers (no offense to your dad) are still worried about it because they're stuck in the past.

**violeteyez67**: well… yeah. I suppose that I shouldn't worry too much about it or anything. I mean, it's not like we're dating or anything, so perhaps it isn't that big of a deal…

**konohacheer17**: if you said no to that boy… so help me!

**cherryblossomkiss21**: wait… you didn't actually say no, did you?

**violeteyez67**: no! I just said we should maybe get to know each other a little better first, and see where it goes from there.

**cherryblossomkiss21**: which just means you _will_ be dating, you just aren't _yet_

**konohacheer17**: hahaha, yep. basically.

**violeteyez67**: I dunno… we'll see.

**tsuchan5**: aww c'mon! you luvvvv him!

**violeteyez67**: I'm going to smack you just time I see you. Just a warning.

**tsuchan5**: lolll....

**blondisbtr6**: so now you gotta hang out with him and stuff, even if it's just as friends.

**violeteyez67**: crap.

**cherryblossomkiss21**: whats with the "crap"? you like him, don't you?

**violeteyez67**: yeah. I'm just dreading the awkwardness and everything.

**konohacheer17**: well, hey! howabout this; you ask him if her wants to chill in the mall with us this weekend and tell him he can invite some guys. you know, so you'll have friends there, and so will he, and it won't be so awkward.

**w3aponlvr**: hey! yeah! sounds like it could be fun! whatdya say, hina?

**violeteyez67**: sure. actually, that does sound fun!

**tsuchan5**: well, obviously, we girls are all set, but you should tell Naruto so he can invite some of his guy friends

**blondisbtr6**: yeah. especially Kiba.

**cherryblossomkiss21**: don't forget Sasuke!

**violeteyez67**: hey, guys...

**tsuchan5**: and Shika-kun!

**violeteyez67**: guys!

**w3aponlvr**: and Neji!

**violeteyez67**: GUYS!

**w3aponlvr**: sorry. xp

**tsuchan5**: mah bad! (lol)

**cherryblossomkiss21**: sorreeee hinaaaa

**blondisbtr6**: rofl xD

**violeteyez67**: well, anyways, the mall 2moro sounds good to everyone?

**tsuchan5:** yeah, I'm available all tomorrow

**cherryblossomkiss21**: me too

**blondisbtr6**: yeah, ditto

**konohacheer17**: my saturday's completely open, too

**w3aponlvr**: well, ZI have to have lunch with my grandparents who'll be visiting 2moro, but they should be gone by 3

**violeteyez67**: alright, then. hows 4-7 sound to everyone? we can grab some dinner at TGI Friday's, apparently there's one in the mall

**blondisbtr6**: sounds good to me! I luvvvv TGI Fridays!

**cherryblossomkiss21**: no objections here!

**tsuchan5**: everything sounds a.o.k. to me!

**w3aponlvr**: ditto

**konohacheer17**: sounds good!

**violeteyez67**: awesome! so it looks like we're all set!

**tsuchan5**: yep! now all you gotta do is invite Naruto and his friends

**violeteyez67**: yeah, well...

[**violeteyez67** is typing]

**cherryblossomkiss21**: ...

**blondisbtr6**: ...hina?

**w3aponlvr**: you there, hinata?

**tsuchan5**: omg she's dead!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!

**konohacheer17**: -.- can we _please_ try to keep the spaziness factor to a minimum?

**tsuchan5: oh**, plz. you think that was spazzy? that was nothing

**w3aponlvr**: oh greeaaatttt... now you've done it...

**cherryblossomkiss21**: …

**blondisbtr6**: …?

**konohacheer17**: well?

**tsuchan5**:

*()&%#&V*(%(*)V&NINHUKSDFN67985374n8(^(_NV#*&%#(VM#MCY&(_V_#(%M*#!!!!!!!!!!!!###^%!&$!&%$^!^%#&(!^*&!)!!!!!!!!

**cherryblossomkiss21**: my gawd!! remind me to never give her coffee! EVER. o.0

**blondisbtr6**: yeah, no kidding

**violeteyez67**: jeeze! I leave for just a minute and you've already all gone crazy! -_-'

**w3aponlvr**: lol! Hina's back!

**tsuchan5**: yayyy! you're not dead!

**konohacheer17**: where'd you go?

**violeteyez67**: actually I didn't go anywhere, I was just too distracted by Facebook chat… haha… actually Naruto just signed on and messaged me, so I was telling him about the mall plans.

**konohacheer17**: …and?

**violeteyez67**: oh, well, yeah. he said he could definitely come, but he couldn't guarantee that all of his friends would make it

**konohacheer17**: I see…

**cherryblossomkiss21**: well, fingers crossed, ladies! I'd hate to roam the mall without some cute guy there with me!

blondisbtr6: amen, sister!

**w3aponlvr**: roflll. yeah!

**tsuchan5**: mhm!

**violeteyez67**: alright, well I'm gunna go… I have to get my homework done so I don't have to worry about it b4 the mall 2moro. oh! that reminds me! where specifically are we going to meet?

**cherryblossomkiss21**: how about at the merry-go-round in the food court?

**blondisbtr6**: sounds good

**konohacheer17**: yep

**tsuchan5**: sure!

**w3aponlvr**: kay

**violeteyez67**: alright, it's settled, then. kay, see you guys tomorrow!

**cherryblossomkiss21**: see ya babe!

**blondisbtr6**: byee!

**konohacheer17**: buhbye

**violeteyez67**: bye everyone!

[You have left the chatroom.]

[=[ Facebook Chat ]=]

_Hinata_: Alright, well I gotta go… have to go get my homework done… -_-'. Oh, and btw, the meeting place for 2moro is at the merry-go-round in the food court.

_Naruto_: Awesome! Sounds good to me! Oh, and by the way, I liked the new look you were sporting today! x3

_Hinata_: Oh… that? Haha. Wait, really?

_Naruto_: Yeah, you looked wicked adorable!

_Hinata_: !!! ///

_Naruto_: omg! Was that too weird?? Sorry!!!

_Hinata_: No, don't be! I was just flattered, that's all. That was a really sweet thing to say… ///

_Naruto_: Oh, haha. Well it's true! Alright well, I'll stop bugging you and let you get that homework done.

[You have logged out.]

She closed her laptop and laid it next to her bed. She stared up at her ceiling, thinking of what her dad would say if he knew she was hanging out at the mall tomorrow with Naruto. Oh well, she didn't care much. Besides, there was a more pressing matter she had to worry about; what she was going to wear tomorrow.

"Naruto said he liked my new look... No, even better. He said I looked adorable!" she whispered to herself. She sighed. Maybe she would ask Hanabi for some help with her outfit tomorrow.

**A/N: And that's that! Another chapter done with! Uh, next chapter, I'm kind of undecided on how it will play out. Should it go just fine for everyone, or should there be some kind of problem that occurs at the mall? Let me know what you want to happen! Thanks so much to **_**oceanmoon**_**, **_**Rose Tiger**_**, and **_**NHBeliever**_** for the continued great reviews! You guys are AWESOME! Til next time!**


	11. It's Official!

**A/N: OMG HI! Damn, it's been a while! I'm sorry, I really am, but life's just been crazy lately (more on that later mehbe). Anyways, here it is, finally! And also, just to avoid some confusion, let me change something I said before. Alright so, rather than working at a daycare for young'uns, Naruto works at a "Youth Center". Basically, it's just a place to hang out, play some video games, do some homework, chill with friends, etc. I think Hanabi was unintentionally sounding too young because she was in a daycare. So Hanabi goes to/Naruto works at a youth center now.**

"You want me to _what_?" Hanabi asked. Hinata found herself in Hanabi's room, requesting assistance from her younger sister.

"I said I need you to help me pick out an outfit!" Hinata said, louder this time.

"Hah! So that boy _did_ like what I picked out for you, huh?" Hanabi smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks a bunch and all that… now will you help me out or not?" she asked impatiently.

"Yeah, sure! So Naruto, eh?" she asked slyly.

"Look, I've already gotten the lecture and everything, so spare me." Hinata said.

"Nah, I wasn't going to criticize you at all, more like congratulate." Hanabi explained.

"Huh? Really?" Hinata gave her a skeptical look.

"Yeah, he seems like a great guy! Who cares about that stupid demon thing?" she asked.

"So you knew about that too?" Hinata asked.

"Well, no. At least not until I overheard dad and you going at it." She told her older sister.

"So you really think he's a good guy?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah! I mean, I don't know him that well, but from what I gather, he seems to be really cool." She said.

"Well, I'm glad I have your approval." Hinata said sarcastically, although she actually was a little glad Hanabi liked Naruto.

"Alright so let's get to work on that outfit!" Hanabi grinned. The two Hyuga sisters went to Hinata's room. Hanabi opened the door of Hinata's closet and peered inside.

"Hm… Why don't we make a compromise?" Hanabi said. "You choose a few things that you like, and I'll do the same, and then we can both contribute to the final outfit." Hanabi offered.

"Sure." Hinata said.

After a few minutes of careful consideration, and a little bit of arguing over which shoes would look better with which pants, they agreed upon an outfit. It consisted of tight jeans, a light blue tank top, a black hooded sweatshirt over that, unzipped part ways, and some blue and black sneakers.

"That looks great! You look so cute!" Hanabi smiled.

"Thanks..." Hinata replied, eying herself in the mirror. She wasn't sure what she thought of the outfit. It was certainly different, she just wasn't sure if it was a good kind of different. Hanabi noticed the skeptical look and said,

"You know, you don't have to decide right now whether you like it or not. Think it over a little first."

"Yeah, I guess I'll go take a shower and see if I can decide afterward."

Hanabi left her room, and Hinata got into the shower. She did everything she could to make herself absolutely perfectly clean. After she got out and toweled off, she tried her specially selected outfit on once more. Looking in the mirror, she grinned. Who was she kidding? She looked great! She felt great, too. She couldn't wait to get to the mall and hang out with everybody, especially Naruto. Then, she spotted something behind her, reflected in the mirror. It was her rarely used makeup collection, gathering dust atop one of her dressers. She walked over to it and began browsing through her selection. She thought that a little bit of makeup, just enough for someone to notice, might be a nice addition to her appearance, so she applied a small amount. She took out her cell phone to check the time, and saw that it was already 3:30. She looked in the mirror one last time, and then headed downstairs.

"Dad!" she called out.

"Yes, Hinata?" he entered from a nearby room, replying.

"Uh, can I go to Sakura's?" Hinata asked.

"Of course. When will you be back?" he questioned.

"Well, I was thinking of having dinner over there, so is 8 ok?" she asked.

"Sure, that's fine. Are you walking there?" he asked.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Alright, then. Be careful, and have fun." he said.

"Thanks. Bye." Hinata said as she made her way out the door. Hinata then headed out, off in the direction of Sakura's house.

[=[ Meanwhile, at Naruto's house… ]=]

"Oh my god! Don't I own anything that isn't orange?" Naruto groaned, just realizing now how ridiculous his wardrobe was. Sasuke simply looked at the boy and smirked.

"Oi! What's so funny!" Naruto said, turning to look his friend in the eyes so he could glare at him properly.

"Oh, nothing…" Sasuke chuckled.

"Alright, well, can you stop just standing around and actually help me out here?" Naruto requested, quite irritated at his friend.

Sasuke gave him a weird look, but reluctantly made his way over to the closet the young ninja was searching through frantically. Sasuke saw some clothes in the corner of the closet that Naruto had overlooked. Without saying anything, he picked up the clothes and pushed them at Naruto.

"Out" Naruto simply said, pointing towards the door.

"Huhn?" Sasuke grunted in confusion.

"Out, out, out! I need to take a shower and get changed and stuff! There isn't much time left!"

"Alright, alright, already! Chill!" Sasuke said as he left the room. He closed the door behind him, chuckling at Naruto's desperation. After a while, Naruto emerged from his room to see an annoyed Sasuke waiting outside his door.

"Sorry that took so long, I had to-"

"Yeah, yeah. Get all squeaky clean and all dressed up for your girlfriend, I know." Sasuke cut Naruto off.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Naruto nearly shouted.

"But you wish she was." Sasuke retorted.

Naruto started to say something, but stopped himself.

Sasuke smirked. "See?"

"Alright, whatever! Let's just get going already..." Naruto said.

Sasuke just smiled and began walking out the door, with Naruto following behind. They got into Sasuke's car and pulled out of the driveway. After driving around and picking up Lee, Kiba, and Shikamaru, the group was off to the mall.

"Yo, Naruto, what's with the get-up?" Kiba asked.

"Huh? Why, does it look weird!" Naruto said, about to freak out.

"No, no. You're just kind of cleaned up and sorta… not dirty." Kiba said, while looking down at his own clothes, which _were_ in fact quite dirty. "I mean, we're just a few friends going to the mall, right?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Heh… well, there are a few females attending. One special one in particular if 'ya catch my drift." Sasuke chuckled. Naruto punched Sasuke in the arm.

"The hell? What was that for, baka?" Sasuke grunted. Naruto just glared at him. Naruto still wasn't sure how Kiba felt about him liking Hinata, although he was pretty sure he didn't want it to work out between them. So, with Kiba in the backseat, it probably wasn't the best time to get all chatty; he didn't want to piss him off anymore.

The remaining car ride to the mall was filled with small chat about music and the likes. Eventually, they got to the mall. After the very long process of looking for a parking space that was relatively close to the entrance and after deciphering some confusing mall maps, they were at the place they said they'd meet the girls at. After a few minutes, the girls arrived, and 'heys' and 'hellos' we're exchanged. Naruto met Hinata's eyes and gave a small wave. Hinata blushed and looked away while murmuring a quiet 'hey'.

"So, where to now?" Tsuyoki asked.

"Why don't we start out with Newbury Comics?" Sasuke suggested.

"Yeah, I've been looking for this CD, and I think they might have it." Naruto said.

"What band?" Shikamaru asked as they began walking towards their chosen location.

"Well, it's not a band, it's just one guy. His names Doug Appling, but he calls himself "Emancipator." Hinata let out a small squeal.

"Oh my gosh, you listen to Emancipator, too?" Hinata said, obviously excited. Everyone gave her a look and she suddenly remembered where she was and who she was talking to. Her face reddened as she began twiddling her fingers and stared at the ground.

"S-Sorry…" she murmured.

"Haha, don't worry about it. Yeah, Emancipator's totally awesome." Naruto said. The group of teens entered the store and began browsing around. Naruto was right in assuming his CD would be here, because there it was; a whole stand devoted to the new album.

"Oh, sweet!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata followed him to look at the CD. Naruto picked up one of the CDs off of the rack and marveled at it's beauty. He was happy until he noticed the price tag.

"Ohh… man, that's pricey…" he said, slightly disappointed.

"U-Uh… if you want… I c-could chip in a bit of money…" Hinata offered.

"No, it's fine. Thanks a lot for the offer, but I'm fine. I have enough money, I just wasn't expecting it to cost so much." He said.

"W-well, I was probably going to buy it anyways, so maybe I could at least help pay a little and then maybe… I-I could c-come over… a-and listen to it with you?" Hinata suggested, her eyes focused intently on the ground.

"Uh, yeah, sure! That sounds cool." Naruto said. He was a little taken aback by Hinata's suggestion. She could barely talk to him before (although she still had some problem with that), and yet now she was asking to hang out at his place. Maybe she was starting to come out of her shell. Naruto went off to look at something else, and in the meantime, Sakura snuck up behind Hinata.

"What was _that_?" Sakura asked, smiling.

"W-What?"

"You just asked him to hang out. _You _asked _him_, not the other way around. Hehe, you're really starting to change to make this work, aren't you? You must really like him." She grinned.

"W-well… yeah I guess so…" she replied. Everyone browsed around the store for a little bit longer until they decided to move onto the next store. Naruto bought his CD, which Hinata helped pay for, and then the group moved onto Hot Topic. Usually the store just sold band t-shirts and that sort of thing, but sometimes you could find something really cool on the back shelves. If you were lucky, you could sometimes even find some miscellaneous anime merchandise . Naruto headed straight for the back of the store, and almost immediately, a bit of pink fabric caught his eye. On one of the shelves, somewhat hidden under a t-shirt, was a pink rabbit hat with ears that flopped down. He picked it up and checked it out.

"Uhh… are you thinking about buying that or something?" Shikamaru asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Sakura looked over and noticed the hat in Naruto's hand, too.

"Oh my gosh, that so cute!" Sakura said. "Can I see it?" she asked, not waiting for a response, but just taking it from his hands. She snuck up behind an unsuspecting Hinata and put it on her head.

"W-What-?"

"Oh my gosh Hinata! You look so cute in it!" Sakura said in delight. Hinata blushed, feeling peoples eyes on her.

"I-I don't know…" Hinata said doubtfully, glancing in the mirror. Sakura grinned and looked at Naruto.

"Well, what do _you_ think about it, Naruto?

"What's that supposed to mean? Why me?" Naruto asked, looking around.

"Who cares what it means, we just want to know what you think of it, that's all."

"W-Well I guess… it's kinda cute…" Naruto mumbled, staring at the ground. This, of course caused Hinata to blush intensely.

"Hm… just "kinda cute"? I don't think that's going to be enough to get Hinata to buy it…" Sakura teased.

"Alright, I think it's adorable, ok?" Naruto said before hurrying off to another section of the store to get away from the group. Sakura grinned and looked over at Hinata, who had reverted back to her habit of finger-twiddling.

"Y-You shouldn't tease him like that…" Hinata mumbled.

"Oh, come on, we were just joking. Besides, he wouldn't have said anything if he didn't mean it." Sakura said.

"Man, am I hungry!" Kiba exclaimed suddenly.

"I'm guessing you want to go to the food court right about now?" Ino asked, already knowing the answer.

"Can, we please?" Kiba begged.

"Haha, the author of this fan fiction used "begged" to describe you, Kiba. Cause you're like a dog… hehehe…" Tsuyoki said.

"Shut up…" he growled.

"Hahaha, "growled"!" she smirked.

"Argh, c'mon!" Kiba groaned.

"Alright, taunting Kiba aside, are you guys ready to head over to the food court?" Shikamaru asked. The vote was a unanimous yes, so they all made their was to the food court after rejoining with the slightly sulking Naruto. They found the food court and managed to find an empty table big enough to seat all everybody.

"Alright, can somebody stay here and save our spot?" Tsuyoki asked.

"I-I can do it… I don't mind." Hinata offered.

"Alright, thanks!" Ino said.

"I can stay here too." Naruto said to the group.

"Ok". The group left, and Naruto took a seat across from Hinata.

"I thought I might keep you company. You don't mind, do you?" Naruto asked.

"I-I don't mind at all…" Hinata said, barely audible. "T-Thanks…"

"Sure! Don't mention it!" He gave her a warm smile.

They made some small talk for a few minutes until everybody else came back to the table with trays of food. Everyone sat and enjoyed the food while they chatted amongst themselves. Naruto took out his phone to check for new messages. After a few minutes of idly browsing through old messages, he put his phone away and returned his attention to the group surrounding the table. Kiba had apparently launched into some hilarious story, because he was mumbling something through a mouthful of food and gesticulating wildly, much to everyone's amusement. Unfortunately, someone else in the food court happened to be walking by, right when Kiba did one last arm-flail. Kiba's hand smacked the cup the man was holding, which was unfortunately still quite full of whatever he had been drinking. It then spilled on Hinata who was sitting right next to him. She squealed in surprise, and everyone around the table gasped.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" the man said.

"That's ok, it was my fault…" Kiba said to the man. "I am _soooo_ sorry Hinata. Crap..."

"It-It's f-fine…" Hinata said, although it was clearly not fine. Her clothes were soaked and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"C'mon Hinata, let's go to the bathroom" Sakura said. "You guys can shop some more, we'll catch up later."

"I'm really sorry Hinata!" Kiba called out as they made their way off to the restrooms.

"Alright, well… I guess we should get moving, then. No sense in staying here…" Shikamaru suggested.

"Yeah, let's go…" Lee said.

"Actually, I think I'll stay behind and wait for Sakura and Hinata." Naruto said.

"Alright, see you later then." Sasuke said. Naruto made his way over to the restroom and took out his trusty cell phone. He certainly wasn't going to go into the girl's room to retrieve Sakura, but texting her worked just as well.

[To Saks]

hey, I'm stnding outside the bthroom

He sent the message, and in only a minute or so, Sakura emerged.

"Hey" she said.

"Hey. How's Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"Ehh… not that good…" she said. "Her clothes are absolutely soaked, and we're not sure what to do."

"Here," Naruto said, handing her his sweatshirt after removing it. "She can put her wet clothes in a bag or something and wear this."

"Thanks, she'll probably really appreciate that. Although she kind of had that outfit picked out special for today."

"Did she tell you that?" Naruto asked, wondering how she would know that.

"Well, no, but it's pretty obvious. I mean, have you seen what she normally wears?" Sakura asked.

"Well, yeah. It seems like she's really been changing her wardrobe lately..." Naruto said.

"Now, why ever would she do something like that?" Sakura asked in a sarcastic tone.

"It's not for _me_ is it?" Naruto asked.

"Bingo." Sakura replied.

"So she got all dressed up just for me basically?" Naruto repeated, not really sure what to think.

"Oh, please. You did the same for her." Sakura said.

"Well you got me there..." he grinned. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, a little..." Sakura smiled.

"Alright, well, you should probably get back to her, then..." Naruto said.

"Yeah, I'll be back" Sakura said, reentering the bathroom. After a few minutes, Sakura emerged with Hinata following behind. She was wearing Naruto's sweatshirt. It hung loose on her body, as it was a little big, and the sleeves hung down past her hands.

"U-uh t-thanks for the s-sweatshirt..." Hinata said.

"Don't mention it. Looks pretty good on you." Naruto smiled. Hinata loved that smile of his, she just wished she could not blush so much every time she saw it.

"Alright, well I'm going to head on over to the other side of the mall, but you guys can go catch up to the group." Sakura said.

"O-Okay" Hinata said. Sakura left, and Hinata found herself alone with Naruto once again. They started walking with no particular destination in mind, figuring they'd meet up with the group eventually.

"So is the sweatshirt comfortable?" Naruto asked. Hinata nodded.

"T-Thanks..." she said.

"Don't mention it! But don't be surprised if you get some weird looks."

"Why is that?" Hinata asked, slightly confused.

"Well isn't it like normal for a girl to wear a boyfriend's sweatshirt? People will probably think we're dating." he explained.

"O-Oh! I-I didn't know that..." Hinata said.

A short awkward silence followed as the two continued walking along.

"Ok, look... come here." Naruto said, leading Hinata to a side hallway that was currently deserted. "This is really weird. We know we like each other, but we're stuck in the 'just friends' mode." Hinata just listened to him silently. "I don't like how awkward it is. I just want to be with you without all of the weirdness..." he said. He paused for a few seconds.

"Do you want to go out with me? Like official girlfriend and boyfriend?" Naruto asked.

"U-Uh, well… I-I t-think…" Hinata stopped herself and took a deep breath so she could speak clearly.

"Y-Yes. I'd like that" she smiled and looked into his eyes, blushing immensely.

"Oh, that's great! Haha, awesome!" Naruto grinned at Hinata.

"Should I, uh…" Naruto began, not quite sure how to ask the question on his mind. He gave up and simply grasped Hinata's hand.

"Are you ok with this?" Naruto said.

'H-He's holding my hand?' Hinata thought.

Hinata just nodded and smiled, her face bright red.

They began walking back to the area of the mall where the rest of the group probably was. In a few minutes, they ran into the rest of the group. Most of them had their backs turned to Hinata and Naruto, but Ino saw them approaching and grinned, nudging Sakura and nodding towards the two holding hands. She looked at them and smiled excitedly. Hinata and Naruto stepped into the group circle, and everyone looked at them.

"Hey!" Sakura said, her voice filled with unsurpressed excitement.

"Finally, you guys are back! Took you long… enough…? Shikamaru said, trailing off towards the end and adopting a confused look on his face, noting the two holding hands.

"Are you guys…?" Shikamaru began.

"Yep! We're official now! We are now boyfriend and girlfriend!" Naruto grinned.

Congrats from the group echoed around, and everyone was clearly happy for them. EXCEPT FOR KIBA. Lol, jk. He was chill with the whole situation.

"Congrats man! We'll celebrate for real later. Mehbe go out clubbing, get us some hookers, something like that. Who knows?" Sasuke said. Naruto punched him in the arm, laughing.

"Shut up dude…" he chuckled.

"Ow! That's where you punched me before! I think there's going to be a bruise there. Damnit… But seriously man, congrats and all that jazz." Sasuke said.

"Haha, thanks," Naruto said. The girls surrounded Hinata and were jabbering away. Suddenly Kiba pulled Naruto aside.

"Hey dude. Congrats, man. I just wanna let you know that I'm happy for you, and that she's all yours. Sorry about what happened before." He said.

"What happened before?" Naruto asked, confused.

"You know, when I confronted you and told you to stay away from Hinata. Oh, you probably forgot about that because the lazy ass author of this fan fiction took so long to update, and that was _**SO LONG AGO!**_" Kiba said, shouting at the sky towards the end.

"Curse you for actually having a life outside t3h internetz, fan fiction author!" Lee screamed as he appeared out of nowhere.

"Uhh... what the hell, Lee?" Kiba asked. "I mean, I kind of had that under control myself..."

"Well, yeah, but I've been here the whole time and I haven't really had any lines at all this chapter, and I doubt I'll get any anytime soon, so I figured I'd just make myself known." Lee explained.

"Alright... anyway..." Kiba said.

"Yeah, like you were saying before, it has been awhile since the last update, hasn't it? Oh well, whatever. Anyways, I'm glad that you're ok with everything. Thanks man." Naruto said, cuffing Kiba in the arm lightly. The two of them then rejoined the group.

"Yeah, uhh… we should probably get going then, right?" Shikamaru said. "It's 7 o'clock. Mall closes soon…"

"Oh, jeeze. 7 already?" Naruto said, wondering how the time had flown by so easily. "Alright, well I guess we're outta here." The group walked to the exit together.

"Alright, well we'll see you guys later!" Tsuyoki said. Goodbyes were exchanged by everyone.

"Oh, Hinata. You're going home tonight, right? I mean, you're not sleeping over anywhere are you?" Naruto asked.

"N-No… I'm going back to Sakura's house and then I'm going home." Hinata said.

"Ok, cool! Wait at Sakura's house before you leave. I'll go there and walk you home." Naruto said. "I'd drive you home, but he's the one with the license and the car." Naruto grinned, pointing at Sasuke.

"O-Oh… ok." Hinata said. The two groups got into their respective cars and drove home. As soon as Naruto got home, he began walking to Sakura's house. After a few minutes he got there, where he saw Hinata waiting on the front steps. She was gazing up at the stars, which were out and quite abundant tonight, and she didn't hear Naruto approaching.

"Hey – Hinata." Naruto called out. She looked over at Naruto suddenly, surprised, but her face softened when she saw who it was.

"H-Hey" she said. Naruto took her hand and they began walking towards Hinata's house. Naruto looked up at the night sky Hinata had just been staring at so intently.

"The stars are really beautiful tonight," Naruto said

"Y-Yeah…" Hinata agreed.

"Doing anything tomorrow night? It's supposed to be clear tomorrow night too, so maybe we can listen to that new album we bought today and stargaze. We can go on my roof." Naruto suggested.

"T-That sounds great." Hinata said.

While the two had been talking, they had walked the short distance spanning Hinata and Sakura's house, and the two now found themselves outside of Hinata's house.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto said. "You can just come by my house any time after 3 o'clock."

"O-Ok." Hinata said. Naruto pulled Hinata close and gave her an affectionate hug.

"Goodnight." He said.

"U-uh g-goodnight." Hinata said, embarrassed by this sudden display of affection, but not wanting him to let go at the same time. Unfortunately for her, they separated, and Hinata walked up the path to her house, while Naruto walked down the street towards his house. He was practically skipping with joy. He had the most amazing girlfriend ever now. Life was great. He smiled as he walked down the abandoned street, thinking about Hinata.

**A/N: Well, it's finally done! No, not the whole story, just this chapter. o.0 Anyways, there shall be some turmoil in the next chapter. I feel like I've said that before, but seriously, in the next chapter, there **_**will**_** be drama. Not only between most of the couples / crushes, but also between Naruto and the village. Anyways, thanks for reading! And **_**please**_** review!**


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